Poor professional advice has meant one in six small and micro-businesses in the UK has lost money in the last year, according to new research by Direct Line for Business.

Our round-up of other small business stories making the headlines this week...

Research by employment law consultancy Peninsula suggests just how hard many small-business owners and managers find it to fully switch off while on holiday.

UK businesses that employ people from overseas have been warned by immigration minister, James Brokenshire, that they will be "hit from all angles" if those workers have no legal right to work in the UK.

The Institute of Directors (IoD) wants the Government to better promote the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) to make it easier for more people in the UK to invest in new and growing businesses.

Research suggests that up to 54,000 pregnant women and new mothers are being forced out of their jobs in the UK each year as a consequence of discrimination.

Our round-up of other small business stories making the headlines this week...

Smartphones have overtaken laptops as the most popular device for getting online, according to the latest research from Ofcom. It means every business must ensure that it has a mobile-friendly website.

Cloud computing take-up among UK SMEs has increased 15% in the past year as more companies allow staff to work from home.

The Forum of Private Business has written to the Prime Minister to protest at the lack of small business representation on the Government's business advisory group.